Author: John Thomas Frazier

Daily Office Readings for Monday of Holy Week: Year 2

Morning; Psalm 51:1-18(19-20); Evening; Psalm 69:1-23;

Lamentations 1:1-2, and 6-12; 2nd Corinthians 1:1 to 7; Mark 11:12 to 25:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God.” (2 Corinthians 1: 3 and 4)

When I read these biblical passages I always try to seek out the timeless messages, those passages that are still relevant for us today.  Paul identifies God as “Father of mercies and the God of all consolation.” He goes on to say that as God consoles us, so that we then are able to console others. This consolation that God blesses us with is truly a blessing.  And just like God told Abram, “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you:” (Genesis 12:2 and 3).  So I see this divine consolation as God’s blessing that comes upon us and then we are to console others.

Consoling, that is, the listening to, and blessing of, the other, is so important today.  We need to be spiritually present with our neighbors.  Perhaps being spiritually present is another way we can be with people during this time of physical separation. A phone call, a text message, an email, any form of spiritual consolation we can do means a lot to someone suffering from loss of work, fearing sickness, stuck in their home and are at their wits end.  Our neighbors need us and we need them, now more than ever.

God has blessed you with the blessing of consolation.  Some of it is for you, be blessed and wear it like a new suit. But some of what God has given you is for you to give to someone else. See who God puts in your path or on your mind today and give them that consolation that God gave you for them.

I pray that God has given us, way over here in the U.S., the consolation needed for the Ukrainians. I won’t pretend to know how we are to respond to their conciliatory needs now other than sending money to organizations supporting them, and our own prayers to God. I know that language can be a barrier but full disclosure, I have set with people in the hospital whose language I did not understand and it was very much appreciated by the patient.  I think the Holy Spirit bridges the language barrier.  God has given us consolation to comfort us, and to share with others in order to comfort them, no matter who, or where they are, or what language they speak. We need to reach out to the people of Ukraine.

As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Eucharistic Readings for Palm Sunday: Year C

Isaiah 50:4 to 9a: Psalm 31:9 to 16; Philippians 2:5 to 11; Luke 22:14 to 23:56:

 “Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31- 32)

This reading begins with joy!  It begins with the ride into Jerusalem with waving palms and palms laid before even the donkey that carries Jesus. But during the week, the celebration goes south quickly and some of the same people singing “Blessed is the One who comes in the Name of the Lord,” are within a few days, yelling, “Crucify him.”

There is so much to ponder in this Passion Reading.  I think in all the readings for any of the Gospel Passion readings, Peter is the significant representative of us all.  He wants to be faithful, but fails. We want to be faithful but we too so often fail.  Jesus never gives up on Simon Peter and Jesus never gives up on us.

Satan, or at least sin, is at work against Simon Peter and us as well to reduce us down to manageable fragments in an effort to pull us away from following the love of Jesus. But we have the prayers of Jesus himself, keeping the faith within us, to keep us strong. Jesus says in our Passion passage, “but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail.” Jesus has proclaimed throughout the Gospel that it is the faith within us that enables us to overcome the sinful obstacles in life.

Luke’s Gospel account of the Passion is the only one that has Jesus to make eye contact with Peter as the rooster crows – as Jesus is being taken away. This is a painful reminder that Jesus told him it would be so. It is also a painful reminder when we too make eye contact with Jesus and are found falling short of what we should be.  However, Jesus also lets Peter know that he will, at some point, turn back, and that we too, will at some point, turn back, and when we do, we, like Peter, are to strengthen our brothers and sisters in their faith.

I sometimes wonder as we look into the eyes of President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, as his country is bombarded with devastating bombs, whether we might feel ashamed for not doing more to help the Ukrainian people. But I believe that we also, will turn at some point, come to his aid as it is right so to do.  And when we turn, we too, will strengthen the countries in the region in their resolve to have, and maintain freedom.

As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of the 5^th Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 137:1 to 6 and Psalm 144; Evening,  Psalm 42 and 43;

Exodus 10:21 to 11:8; 2^nd Corinthians 4:13 to 18; Mark 10:46 to 52:

“So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.” (Mark 10:50)

This is the healing story of blind Bartimaeus son of Timaeus who asks for his sight “again.”  This means he once had sight, could see clearly. What is often kind of glossed over is Bartimaeus throwing off his cloak.  Think about it, if you are blind you become well aware of keeping up with things so that you can put your hands on them again. I have my sight and still, I lose things all the time, my keys, my phone, my glasses, many things.

Bartimaeus, knowing he has the opportunity to stand (or kneel) before our Lord Jesus, throws off his cloak – his security blanket.  He lets go of his “security blanket” knowing that being before Jesus will make all things new. He knew that having the attention of Jesus changes what he values. He wants to see again.  Which means, he was once able to see but lost his sight.

The same is true for us today. The only way we can put our whole trust in our Lord Jesus is to let go of false security. Our Lord Jesus asks us today, What is it that we want Him to do for us?

Personally, I have been praying and asking for peace in Ukraine. I believe most Russian soldiers to be of the Russian Orthodox Christian faith.  What will it take for Russian soldiers to see the error of their ways?  Where is their moral sight now and how did they lose it? How is it that they place their security in the cloak of  immoral leadership?  I pray they fling it to the side and come to Jesus. I pray that they ask our Lord Jesus for their sight back. This is what I want Jesus to do for me. I want it for the people of Ukraine and the souls of the persecuting Russian soldiers. Do you think this is something our Lord Jesus can do – will do? I do.

As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Friday after the 5^th Sunday of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 22; Evening,  Psalms 141 and 143:1-11(12)

Exodus 9:13 to 35; 2^nd Corinthians 4:1 to 12; Mark 10:32 to 45:

“They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid.” (Mark 10:32)

Here we have our Lord Jesus leading the pack to his own torture and death.  He is very much aware of his imminent pain and suffering and yet he leads the way. He sets the example for future Christians.  The brothers James and John are going to request places of honor in the kingdom of Jesus.  Jesus informs them that those places are determined by God Almighty.  The rest of his group becomes angry when they find out what James and John were up to.  Jesus gives them the lesson about the upside down world of honor in the kingdom of heaven.  He explains that it is those who serve others that are the most honored in the kingdom.  Our Lord Jesus tells them (and us) that the worldly demand of harsh leadership, which demands for itself to be pleased no matter the costs, is not who we are.  We are to lead in loving ways.  We are to lead by caring for those whom we lead.  We then, are to be emulators of the Good Shepherd, our Lord Jesus himself.

If we all really treated others with respect and dignity two wonderful things might happen.  First, more people would get the help and service they need. Second, by helping others we teach the lesson of loving others as (if not more than) we love ourselves. Such service is the work of love; it is the loving work of the Holy Spirit.

Our Lord Jesus was leading the way to a harsh destination. And he is out front ahead of the pack, setting the example.  As Christians, and as his followers, we too need to lead the way in ending the sufferings when and where it befalls us, and all the while helping those in need if we can. 

Today, here, and in most parts of the world, Christians are not persecuted (although in some places we still are). Our Christian call informs us that we are to emulate our Lord Jesus and lead the way to defend those in dire straits such as the people of Ukraine.  We are all of one group or another. If any one group of people is persecuted or assaulted, any different group may be next. Bullying must not be tolerated, in our schools, or on our global stage. It is up to those of us who witness such behavior to stand up for those being harmed.  Such is the way of God who created us as caregivers.

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done” (Genesis 2:1 and 2). So, for this evening and tomorrow day my friends, Shabbat Shalom. 

What is Shabbat? Intro to the Jewish Sabbath – YouTube

As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of the 5^th Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 131, 132; Evening, Psalm 140, 142

Exodus 7:25 to 8:19; 2^nd Corinthians 3:7 to 18; Mark 10:17 to 31:

“The magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, but they could not. There were gnats on both humans and animals.” (Exodus 8:18)

The magicians of Pharaoh were able to replicate the “staff – to- snake” action even though Moses’ snake destroyed those of  Pharaoh’s magicians; and they could also produce the frogs as God did.  But when God raised up the finer creatures of creation, the gnats, the magicians were lacking. All of creation comes from God. No exception. The gnats remind me of the small and insignificant status of human beings in the great expanse of the universe except that God in Christ Jesus elevated our status by being one of us.

To my knowledge, no other creature on earth has been reasoned with by God, only human beings.  Through Moses, God has tried to reason with Pharaoh several times to release human beings, but he would not. So God showed Pharaoh that the God of Moses is indeed the God of all beings, human and non-human alike. And all humanity, regardless of where we live, are connected to God our Creator through Christ Jesus our Savior.

While we are geographically disconnected from one another, we are prayerfully connected with one another and God. Moses spoke with God for the relief of his people even though it was not something he wanted to do from the beginning. I ponder that it may not have been just Pharaoh whom Moses feared; he may have feared having a continued close relationship with God whom he just met and who was pushing him way out of his comfort zone. We know deep down in our hearts that a continued prayerful relationship with God will push us past our comfort zone. Unlike our Lord Jesus, we have never been physically connected with God although God intercedes on our physical behalf as is often requested by us in our prayers for ourselves and others. And, this kind of praying we should be doing now for the relief and peace of Ukraine. God loves all people. 

Our God is not a God of convenience.  God is not “use now and forget.”  We are in this prayer relationship with God forever and we should show God our thanks for even being alive. My preaching is not so much a job.  It is a calling from my own spiritual burning bush. What I am called to say is not always pleasant to ponder but none the less, needs to be said. The Spirit of God is eternal and moves among us always. This is the Spirit we should listen to and heed its Divine direction. Please advocate for Ukraine in prayer to God showing that Gods’ power is greater than that of those who torment and harm them, as Moses did in the presence of Pharaoh.

As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of the 5^th Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 119:145 to 176; Evening,  Psalm 128, 129, 130;

Exodus 7:8-24; 2^nd Corinthians 2:14 to 3:6; Mark 10:1 to 16:

Psalm 130: 4 and 5

“I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him;
in his word is my hope.

My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.”

These verses capture our state of being right now.  We are waiting.  We are finally witnessing the beginning of the end of the devastation of Covid 19. And while it might stay with us in one form or another, we are now better able to protect ourselves from serious hospitalization or death. God has worked with us in our prayers to help us make vaccines against it.  Our hope and faith and trust continues to be in the Lord.  And we pray that God Almighty continues to  intervene with healing and health for all. “I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; in his word is my hope.”

God’s Word is that God loves us, that we are created in God’s  Image. Our very souls wait for the Lord’s action.  Our souls already know the Lord our God and our souls speak to us (if we would but listen) informing us to put all our hope in the Lord.

In the old days the watchmen were those who stayed vigilant while everyone slept. They served as alarms if danger came near but also they watched for the first signs of the new day. They watched for the sun. Our souls too still watch for the Lord.  But the Psalmist informs us that our souls watch even more intently.  Our souls today watch for the coming again of the Son of God.  

Just as we are dealing with the infection of Covid, so too we should deal with dictating governments who “infect” the world with bullying and terror. Those of us outside of Ukraine are the watchmen of our day. Danger has come near to our family in Ukraine. We should be sounding the alarm and looking forward to a new day, the coming of the Son of God, the Prince of Peace. We need this war, this carnage, to cease now.  But still, “My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.”Amen

As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of the 5^th Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 121, 122, 123; Evening, Psalms 124, 125, 126;

Exodus 5:1 to 6:1; 1^st Corinthians 14:20 to 33 and 39 to 40; Mark 9:42 to 50:

 “Then Moses turned again to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord, why have you mistreated this people? Why did you ever send me?”  (Exodus 5:22)

Moses is caught between the rock and the hard place.  His demanding of Pharaoh to release the people of Israel in order that they may go and worship God has caused Pharaoh to be even more severe with the Israelites. Now he will not provide for them the material for making the bricks but also holding the same expectation of quantity of bricks as before. Moses feels trapped.

God has not changed.  Today God will engage us in activities that will inconvenience us and cost us time, and often money.  But like with Moses, God will not abandon us.  People who don’t know or can’t sense God in their lives will only hold you responsible for what is happening (or not happening).  They don’t want to hear our “God-talk.”  They want us to get out of their way.  But we must endure no matter the costs.

I often tell people this is how we know a path is from God.  First, it is inconvenient. Second, it takes us out of our comfort zone.  Third, there is the issue of time and or money (often both). And fourth, the act is for the benefit of someone else, not you. Hey, God has not changed. Just ask Moses.  God is unchangeable. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. But know this, God will not abandon you.

And God is not abandoning Ukraine. However, God is commanding us who are outside of Ukraine to help them just as God asked Moses to go to the oppressed Israelites. Helping the Ukrainian people is inconvenient; out of our comfort zone; will probably cost us time and money; and it’s not about us, it’s for them, the people of Ukraine. Yep, it is definitely what God is asking of us.

As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Monday of the 5^th Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 31; Evening, Psalm 35;

Exodus 4:10 to31; 1^st Corinthians 14:1 to 19; Mark 9:30 to 41:

“John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” (Mark 9: 38)

Earlier, in this same chapter, Jesus had told them that he was going to be handed over to those who will have him killed and this is what he came into the world to do. This was Jesus’ lot in his life.  But sadly they were arguing amongst themselves about who was the greatest in their own lives, forgetting that our Lord Jesus was sacrificing himself, not promoting himself.  They were so off track.  Now they are confused about someone other than themselves, doing good works in Jesus’ Name, but because they did not know the person they tried to stop him.  I wonder if they even listened to themselves. Our Lord Jesus sure has a lot of patience. I’m glad he does.  Lord knows, I am always in need of the Patience of Jesus. How about you?

If we don’t learn anything else from the orginal followers for our Lord Jesus, let us at least learn that we are always learning.  We don’t know it all, and the beautiful part is, nobody else knows it all either.  We are free to go about life in the comfort of knowing that all humanity is trying to figure out life together. We can’t do it apart from one another, not successfully anyway. The more of us that use our Lord Jesus’ name the better.  Perhaps the best we can do is learn from others who have also followed Jesus in their own way.  This is why I am  always reading from the writinngs of the saints.  I call them my heros. They were still learning right up to the day they departed this life.

We are not to compete with other Christians.  I think realizing that our own tradition is not perfect, perhaps we can learn from other traditions as we struggle to improve ourselves in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today we remember the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who was from another Christian Tradition but shares much that all Christians can learn from.

As Christians, we are here for all people regardless of their beliefs. Just as our Lord Jesus and Dr. King, and many of our past saints sacrificed themselves for the sake of others, I ask us to continually pray for, and do all we can for the people of Ukraine.  And we do this in that same Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, the whole world.

As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Eucharistic Readings for the 5^th Sunday of Lent: Year C

Isaiah 43:16 to 21; Psalm 126;  Philippians 3:4b to 14;  John 12:1-8:

 “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” (John 12: 5)

This reading from John about Mary is like the one in Luke about Martha and Mary.  Judas’s intention is explained to us by the evangelist.  The evangelist informs us that Judas is not concerned about the poor.  He writes that Judas kept the common purse and would steal from it.  How the Evangelist knew this opens up another discussion. He may have even taken his eyes off Jesus for a moment.  It is easy to pick on Judas because in all of the Gospel stories Judas is identified as the traitor who sold out Jesus. 

But in this particular setting, in the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, we have Judas who took his eyes off Jesus for a moment to look upon Mary and what she was doing for Jesus.  And when he did this he had nothing good to say about her.  He was critical of her use of money.  Judas failed to look at Mary through the heart and eyes of Jesus.

This Gospel story is like the ending of chapter 10 of Luke’s Gospel account where Martha takes her eyes off Jesus and looks at her sister Mary and becomes angry because Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus and not helping with the preparations for serving Jesus and the guests that are with him. She says to Jesus, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me” (Luke 10:40).  Of course Jesus tells her that Mary is making the best use of her time.

Both of these reflections took place in the same house in Bethany.  They are witnessed from two different perspectives.  But both are examples of what happens when we look upon another person without seeing them through Jesus. The heart and eyes of Jesus softens our hard edges and brings our compassion to the forefront of our awareness.  We must always recognize Jesus in the room and see the others in the room through Jesus. That’s why we have Jesus – so that we might love one another better.

As this earth is a single room in which we all live, I pray that we see the dispute between Russia and Ukraine as Jesus sees them; with compassion and mercy for both. Perhaps Russia is not looking at Ukraine through the eyes of Jesus.  Please pray for both in this horrible mess.

As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of the 4^th Week of Lent: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 107:33 to 43; Evening,  Psalm 108:1-6(7-13); 33;

Exodus 2:23 to 3:15; 1^st Corinthians 13:1 to 13; Mark 9:14 to 29:

“He said to them, ‘This kind can come out only through prayer.” (Mark 9:29)

I feel like not enough Christian effort is applied in prayer today either. By this I mean the “sit-in-your-room-alone – prayer.” After the disciples of our Lord Jesus failed to cast out the evil spirit by whatever means they were using, Jesus himself interviewed the father of the boy about how long this has been happening.  Then Jesus told the evil presence not only to come out of the boy, but also to never enter him again. Our Lord Jesus later explains about needing to pray more. He says that “This kind can come out only through prayer.”  This is still what we need today.

We have suffered as a planet from this Covid 19 and even some clergy, Christian clergy, have gone along with secular instruction to establish and maintain physical (social) distancing. And that has worked but perhaps during our time, (alone) distancing, we also prayed, prayed without ceasing.  

Perhaps this physical distancing was good advice for the physical self. How about our spiritual selves?  Sooner or later we will all stand before the One  for whom nothing is impossible.  What response will we give for not coming to our Lord for help?  Our Presiding Bishop once said the most important prayer we can pray is one word, and that word is; “Help.”

Folks, we must have faith and believe. Our Lord Jesus took issue with the father who showed some doubt when he ask, “if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us.” (Mark 9: 22)  To this Jesus responds, “‘If you are able!—All things can be done for the one who believes” (Mark 9: 23).  My brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, we must never under estimate the power of our faith in God or the power of  prayer that it brings to bear on whatever troubles us. God loves us so much that God can’t refuse whatever we ask, but we must trust and ask. And we ask for the benefit of one another everywhere. We don’t ask just for ourselves, our family, or our Church or our Country, but for human kind all over the planet as our technology today enables us to know of it. 

Our planet has an evil presence, it is war and violence. This is evidenced by the violence against Ukraine. It is wrong and sinful.  And God needs to hear our concern about it as God heard about such evil through the cries of the people enslaved under pharaoh in our Exodus reading for today. So too, God needs to hear about how much we need for the evil of our day to go away. God wants us to ask for help.  Oh my people of prayer, Pray! “This kind [of evil] can come out only through prayer.”

As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John